Auditorium of the new London Hippodrome

The interior of the brand new London Hippodrome at the corner of Charing Cross Road and Cranbourn Street. Built by theatre architect Frank Matcham for Edward Moss of Moss Empires Limited, in its first decade it specialised in circus variety. Its famous water spectacles took place in the water tank which could be raised and lowered by a hydraulic system. Illustration shows the opulent interior and the tank centre. The building went through several transformations over the years, most notably becoming the Talk of the Town in 1958 when Matcham's original interior was dismantled to create a modern theatre restaurant. In 1982, it was bought by Peter Stringfellow who turned it into a disco (and restored its original name). Today is operates as the Hippodrome Casino

Auditorium Feb20 Hippodrome Lavish Matcham Opulent Spectacle Theatres

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